Chapter Three

Gabrielle looked up as her friends entered the camp. She noticed that Joxer looked very sorrowful, almost like he wasn't even there. She walked over to him, took his hand and they walked over to his bedroll. "Come on, Joxer. I think you need some loving," she murmured in his ear.

Joxer shook his head. "Are the girls asleep?"

Gabrielle looked stung. Joxer had never told her no when it came to their nightly fun. "Uh, yeah. They've been asleep for an hour. Joxer, are you all right?"

Joxer looked back at Xena then down at his sleeping daughter. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just have to do the hardest thing I've ever done in my life tomorrow."

Gabrielle looked at Xena and she sighed. "I told Joxer he needs to tell Adora who she really is."

"What do you mean, Xena? Dorie's just a child."

"A child that has powers and she needs to know."

Gabrielle's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying she could be like Hope?"

"I've never said that!" Xena gasped.

"No you didn't, but that's what you are afraid of. Isn't it, Xena?" Gabrielle's voice was beginning to rise in anger.

Joxer suddenly turned around sharply. "Stop it now! I'll tell Dorie everything, but I don't want you two opening up old wounds! I'm going to bed."

Gabrielle and Xena looked at him, embarrassed. "Sorry, Joxer. You get some sleep, huh? I know it's going to be tough for you in the morning," Gabrielle said softly.

Joxer nodded. "You're right, Gabrielle. It's going to be... I don't know..." he sighed.

Xena gazed at her two friends for a moment before speaking up. "You two get some sleep, huh? It might not seem so bad in the morning. And Gabrielle, I didn't mean to make it sound like I was afraid that Adora was turning into Hope. Adora's a great kid. I know she didn't mean to hurt me. If she had meant to, she damn well wouldn't have bothered with healing me."

Gabrielle looked at Joxer, who only gave her a weak smile and then climbed into his bedroll, inviting her in. The bard immediately went inside, snuggled close to him and placed her head on his chest. "Joxer, it will be all right."

"Gabrielle, how do I tell her all of this? That I've been keeping this from her? It's like I've been lying to her all her life."

"Joxer, maybe she won't see it that way. She's pretty smart."

"Yeah, I know," Joxer sighed and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt Gabrielle's lips over his. He opened his eyes, smiled, and kissed her back but his mind was on his daughter.

The two girls watched from their bedroll. "I wonder what is bothering Papa?" Adora whispered.

"Must be something big. He looks really sad," Eve whispered back.

"Do you think your mom punished him too?" Eve and Adora looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"GIRLS!"

"Yes, Mom?"

"Go to sleep!"

"Yes, Mom."

"Yes, Auntie Xena."

In the far off distance, a cock crowed to greet the morning. Xena stretched and slowly got up. She looked over and saw the girls were already up, but Joxer and Gabrielle were still asleep.

Eve looked over and smiled at her mother. "Morning, Mom. We fed the horses."

"Thanks, Eve. Good morning, Adora." Adora didn't answer her. She was sitting on the grass watching her father sleep. "Adora, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Adora replied in a monotone voice. "But Papa's not. Something is bothering him and it's making him so sad." She looked up at Xena with tears in her dark eyes. "It has something to do with me and it's making Papa sad. Auntie Xena, why is Papa sad? Have I been really bad?"

No, Adora. You haven't been bad," Xena reassured the little girl with a smile.

"I didn't mean to hurt you yesterday. I'm sorry, Auntie Xena!"

Xena looked at her in surprise. "You knew that you burned me yesterday?"

Adora nodded and then began to cry. "I'm sorry! I was just afraid. I'm so scared!"

Joxer, hearing his daughter crying, woke up fully and glared angrily at Xena. "You told her! I would have told her. How could you?" He then took his daughter into his arms to try and comfort her.

"Joxer, calm down! I didn't tell her. She knows something. Adora, tell us what you know."

Gabrielle, who woke up at Joxer's shouting, placed her arms around Joxer. Adora looked at them then back at Eve. Eve walked forward and stood next to her friend. "Adora's been seeing things. She can see her father no matter where he is. I'm not sure how she does it, but she can. " Eve looked at Adora, wondering if she should continue. Adora just buried her head into her father's chest. Eve swallowed hard. "She can also heal. I fell off Spirit last week and broke my arm. Adora healed it. We never said anything because we were afraid."

Xena bent down to her daughter. "Eve, you don't have to be afraid to tell us anything."

Adora suddenly pulled away from Joxer. "I'm not normal! I'm nothing but a freak!"

Adora started to run but Joxer grabbed her too quickly. "You're not a freak! You're my little girl and I love you, but there's something I have to tell you and I guess now is the best time." He swallowed as he gazed into his daughter's eyes. "Dorie, you're a demigod. That means that you're half god."

Adora looked at Eve and they both smiled. "Oh Papa, is that all? I'm half god!" She turned to Eve. "Eve, did you hear that?"

Eve smiled. "Yes! Oh Dorie, that's great! Do you know what this means?"

Adora laughed. "Yes I do!" She looked at her father's confused face as she hugged him. "Oh Papa, I knew it! I just knew it!"

"Knew what, sweetie?"

"That Aphrodite was my mother!"

Chapter Four

Joxer stared back at Xena and Gabrielle, his eyes pleading for help. Gabrielle placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He swallowed hard and looked at his daughter. "Dorie, uh...ahhh... Aphrodite's not your mother."

"She's not? But I don't understand! You told me I was a demigod. If she's not my mother, who is?"

Joxer ran his hand through his hair, closed his eyes then slowly drew a breath, "I am."

Adora looked at him strangely. "Look, I may only be six years old, but I didn't just fall off the hay wagon! You're a man, not a woman."

"I was when I had you."

"Let me get this straight: you're my mother, not my father?"

"No, I'm your father, but I'm also your mother."

"This is confusing."

Gabrielle stepped in, knowing Joxer was having trouble. "Dorie, it's like this. We went to Gaul and Joxer and his brothers were taken by their God of War..."

An hour later, Gabrielle was done with her explanation. They all waited uneasily for Adora's reaction. "I'm a demigod. My papa is really my mother. I have powers, but hey, I can live with that, no biggie. Now I'm just going to go do my morning chores and not think about it. You guys just go on and do what you do every morning."

Joxer placed his arms around Adora. "Dorie, you okay?"

"Sure, Papa. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't look okay."

"Sorry. It's just so such to take in, I guess. I need time to think, Papa."

"I love you, Dorie."

"I know, Papa. Papa, may I go for a ride? I need to think."

Xena looked at Joxer, her eyes telling him not to let her go alone. He nodded in understanding. "Dorie, why don't you and I go into town and get some supplies?"

"Sure, Papa if that's what you want."

Joxer smiled at her then turned to Xena. "May Eve come too?"

"I don't know, Joxer."

"Oh, please Mom? Please, may I go? Uncle Joxer can look after us."

"Not today, Eve. I think Joxer and Dorie need to talk more, all right?"

Eve looked disappointed but agreed. "Okay, Mom."

Adora looked sad, but she said nothing. She mounted Blue while she waited for her father to mount his horse. When they had gone a short distance, Adora rode next to her father. "Papa, tell me what you know of that God of War."

Joxer nodded then told her everything. Adora thought for a moment then asked him something that bothered her, "Papa, if my powers were gone when I was a baby, then why are they back now?"

"I don't know, Dorie. I just don't know."

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